“In the News” is published quarterly and provides a sampling of stories, articles, or reviews that reference or relate to beliefs, myths, and narratives in Southern culture since 1970.
“Court allows Louisiana to move forward to two majority-Black districts” from SCOTUSblog (May 15, 2024)
“[Secretary of State Nancy] Landry told the Supreme Court that race was not the primary factor behind the state’s decision to enact S.B.8 [which created a new map with two majority-Black districts]. Instead, she wrote, the legislature was motivated by the court orders indicating that the state would likely violate the Voting Rights Act unless two of the six congressional districts were majority Black. Turning those rulings ‘back on the Legislature would be a wholly unfair game of gotcha that this Court has never endorsed.'”
“In Kentucky, abortions are banned in almost all circumstances except in cases when a pregnant woman’s life is in imminent danger of death or permanent injury.
“The plaintiffs — Lisa Sobel, Jessica Kalb and Sarah Baron — filed a suit in 2022 on the grounds that the state’s ban not only endangered their health but was at odds with their Jewish faith.”
Oklahoma is not one of the state’s included in this project, but this was just too Southern to leave out . . .
Oklahoma education head discusses why he’s mandating public schools teach the Bible (July 1, 2024)
“Is it legal to collect rainwater in Georgia?” from WSAV-TV (July 17, 2024)
“In Georgia, it is legal to harvest rainwater if it is for outdoor use only.
“This means that harvested rainwater can be used unregulated for watering gardens and plants but can’t be used for drinking water. This is due to the common use of rooftops and gutters for collecting rainwater, which could have bacteria from animal feces or other contaminants present and could be very harmful if consumed without proper filtration.”
“Court says Jim Crow-era felony voting ban can be altered by lawmakers, no judges” from AP News (July 18, 2024)
“Nineteen judges of the appeals court heard arguments in January, months after vacating a ruling issued last August by a three-judge panel of the same court. The panel had said Mississippi’s ban on voting after certain crimes violates the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
“In the ruling Thursday, dissenting judges wrote that the majority stretched the previous Supreme Court ruling “beyond all recognition.” The dissenting judges wrote that Mississippi’s practice of disenfranchising people who have completed their sentences is cruel and unusual.”
“Governor Glenn Youngkin Issues Executive Order to Codify Comprehensive Election Security Measures to Protect Legal Voters and Accurate Counts” from the Governor’s Office (August 7, 2024)
“The Virginia model for Election Security works. This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue, it’s an American and Virginian issue. Every legal vote deserves to be counted without being watered down by illegal votes or inaccurate machines. In Virginia, we don’t play games and our model for election security is working,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Nobody's Home 